PI of ANR TERRA-MWH: Laboratory convection experiments with internal, non-contact, microwave generated heating, applied to Earth’s mantle dynamics together with National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (INCDTIM) Cluj Napoca, Romania

Moiré methods for mapping bed elevation and channel depth in laboratory flumes experiments

The thermal structure revealed by thermochromic liquid crystals shows that convection driven by internal heating is characterised by the formation of cold plumes from the top boundary layer.

The velocity field shows that cold plumes are associated with downwards velocity zones and that upwards velocity zones are only due to return flow.

Heterogeneous convection experiment in which the bottom layer is characterized by a higher amount of internal-heating. Cross-section of the experimental tank containing the optical image superposed on the 2D velocity field a) initial, stable condition, b) initiation of convection in the top layer, c,d) pile formation and tendril entrainment.

a

b

c

d